Expert on teacher evaluation has concerns about Louisiana's new system
The new teacher evaluation systemLouisiana launched this fall may be too simplistic, according to the architect of one of the most widely used evaluation systems in the country -- and the one on which Louisiana's new system is based.
Charlotte Danielson is the creator of a method of observing and rating teachers based on their performance in the classroom known as theFramework for Teaching. Louisiana has adopted part, but not all, of her framework for use in classroom observations, which will factor into a teacher's annual score and which will ultimately determine whether educators can keep their jobs.
Although Danielson helped the state create a shortened version of her system at its request, she's worried her truncated observation checklist could create problems for teachers and evaluators.
"I think it decreases accuracy. I think that's an almost certain consequence," she said.
Louisiana adopted the new system to comply with Act 54, a law passed in 2010 aimed at improving teacher quality in the state with more intensive, annual